Does the petrol RX make sense?

If you can do without four-wheel drive, you’ll save yourself £7000 over an entry-level RX450h. Considering that it already undercuts rivals and offers generous levels of standard kit, it seems like good value for this kind of vehicle.

No matter how many wheels get driven, the 200t makes 235bhp and 258lb ft. They may not sound like bad figures, but then the RX weighs nearly two tonnes. That means the all-wheel-drive model we’re testing takes a yawning 9.5sec to reach 62mph.

If you’re travelling at a sedate pace, the RX200t has plenty going for it. At low engine speeds, the petrol engine remains smooth and refined, and there are none of the nasty vibrations some diesel-powered rivals suffer from coming through the wheel or pedals.

However, if you've bought a car that looks like this, it’s unlikely you're planning on driving everywhere at a sedate pace. Heavy application of the right pedal will see the gearbox drop two or three cogs, even in Eco mode, to get it moving with a reasonable turn of speed.

At this point, the engine will start to make its presence known. It wouldn’t be the worst soundtrack for a hot hatchback, but the sound of a petrol four-pot seems a little out of place in a luxury SUV.

Performance is adequate but there’s none of the effortlessness that you get from an Audi Q7 or Range Rover Sport, although you wouldn't really expect there to be given the engine's 2.0-litre capacity.

Flicking through the drive modes to Sport or Sport + does make it feel a little sprightlier, but that’s mainly down to it holding on to gears for longer.

Those that want more involvement might be tempted to take control of the gearbox using the wheel-mounted paddles. These turned out to be a source of frustration, the ’box unwilling to change up or down unless it deemed a shift appropriate, and then changing gear for you as you approach the redline. Shifts were at least smooth and fairly swift.

Does the new Lexus RX meet its luxury remit?

Even with the F Sport’s 20in wheels, the ride is comfortable in all drive modes. You do feel bigger bumps and expansion joints but at no point do they upset the car’s balance. The downside is more body roll than you’d get in some competitors, even in Sport + mode.

It’s also thirsty, really thirsty. On a mixed test route we couldn’t get better than 25mpg despite driving sensibly for much of the time. It’s therefore no surprise to find that CO2 emissions are a little high at 189g/km.

Speccing up the Lexus RX

The entry-level S trim is only available with petrol RX models, while the SE and Premier specs can only be had with the hybrid versions.

As for the rest of the package, you still get a fantastically well-built cabin. Switches, stalks and other controls feel slick and it’s unlikely you’ll interact with any hard plastic unless you go actively looking for it. Instruments are clear but the joystick controlled infotainment system can frustrate.

Front seat occupants will have no complaints with regards to space and storage, while rear seat passengers are just as spoilt. The rear bench can be slid back for more legroom and also reclined. The boot isn’t the biggest but it’s by no means bad.

The turbocharged petrol may be cheaper to buy than the hybrid, but real-world economy will be far worse and taxation far higher. It’s also a fair bit slower, meaning F Sport trim is all mouth and no trousers.